Volunteers from Ochils Mountain Rescue team have been mobilised tonight to assist critical care nurses to access patients in the Forth Valley NHS area, the team have Landrover 4x4 vehicles and trained drivers and are accustomed to operating in very inclement weather and can reach areas 'normal' vehicles would struggle with.

Temperatures are expected to drop towards -9 tonight so the correct equipment for venturing outside is important.

Ochils MRT are part of the Forth Valley Voluntary Sector Local Resilience Partnership which was activated earlier today and we are working alongside our colleagues at International Rescue Corps at Grangemouth and Lothian 4x4 Response who are also assisting with 4 x 4 vehicles and trained personnel.

Ochils MRT volunteers are embedded in the communities they serve and this allows us to respond quickly and provide support at times of need. We wish the nurses well in their vital work and applaud all the volunteers who are supporting them.

A massive THANK YOU needs to go out to our Responder Chris English who spent the whole night getting the NHS Lanarkshire Overnight Community Health Nurses to their patients. You can see from this picture what the conditions were like off the main roads at 3am. Well done Chris!

This morning has also seen four more of our Responders out helping hospital staff get to where they need to be. ... See more

'Due to the upgraded warning from the Met Office it has been necessary to update our travel advice.

'We've been working closely with our colleagues at Transport Scotland, the Met Office and local councils to assess the conditions. Therfore for the duration of this updated warning, there is a high risk of disruption for road journeys and there is a high likelihood of the conditions for travel being very poor.

'Those heading out on the roads should be aware of these risks - ensure you have a fully charged phone, warm clothing, and leave extra time for your journey.

'Drive to the road conditions and make sure you check the most up to date information from Traffic Scotland and the Met Office before heading out. Our priority is to ensure the public are safe.'

The last 36 hours has seen 13 of our trained Responders have spent more than 53 man hours assisting NHS Lanarkshire staff covering over 1,100 miles in wintry conditions. During that time they have helped bring Critical Care Staff into the Hospitals, helped get Patients in remote areas to and from their treatments, and spent the night helping Community Health Professionals get to their patients. The team remain on StandBy tonight, but in the meantime a huge THANK YOU to all our Volunteers for your efforts If you would like to get involved, please visit http://www.strathclyde4x4response.co.uk/ ... See more

Latest News Latest from our Facebook Page 2 weeks ago Today saw four of our trained Responders help Icare Scotland deliver 100 hot meals to their clients around Glasgow. This requirement arose following the heavy snowfall meaning a lot of residential side roads had not yet been treated, and their re... ... See more